Shoes
by EtherealButterfly
Summary: A very late Valentine's Day fic. There are many shoes but none like hers. They weren't just made for walking, but to start and witness all the most important moments of her life: since she found him until they lived hapilly ever after. [One shot]


**Shoes**

Maya sat on the edge of her adolescent bed rolling her ankles to admire her shoes. They were white, of course. What else could they be? Besides adding 5 inches to her regular height they also embraced her feet delicately.

She felt silly and childish for being so amazed at a pair of shoes, but they weren't just a pair of shoes. They weren't even new but that was what was so special about them. Those white shoes were with her in all the really important moments of her life and now they were about to walk the most important steps a pair of shoes could walk.

She still remembered where she was and with whom when she bought them, but especially what she was told.

"D'you really like these shoes?" her godmother asked. Mothers were for lucky girls, it turned that wasn't her case.

"I adore them," Maya replied sure enough she would get them.

"Then I'll buy them for you."

"Thank you very much!" Happiness was printed on the girl's face adding it a fresh new glow.

"But you'll have to promise me something..."

"Whatever you want." Maya couldn't have been more honest, she was actually willing to do whatever her godmother wanted her to.

"Promise me you'll wear them in your wedding."

'Just that?' she wondered, thinking that day was still a long way to come. "Very well, I promise."

"And all other important days of your life."

"I promise. I promise, I promise," she replied at once, not considering for long the meaning of her promise.

"But it's not just that."

Maya got suspicious before listening to what was to come. She wasn't sure of what all that shoes business could lead her to.

The still young godmother regained her breath and a new colour. "Find a man...

_...Who doesn't look but sees_

That was when it all started. She was late for the interview and she knew it. Traffic could be a real hell sometimes and coincidence, or not, it was always worse when you needed to be somewhere on time.

Maya hurried through the hall, stopping only in front of the receptionist and leaving all people looking at her. "Mr." she said breathless, "Hiw..."

"Lynette." But then he came. "Lynette, it seems that the girl I was to interview didn't show up at all. I'll be in the..." And he turned.

She most probably didn't look as half professional as she would have liked to, but she felt like she had just immerged from a whirlwind. A fading smile was all that was left to confirm she wasn't furniture, but it was enough - He had seen.

"It's you."

_...Who always waits for you_

"Maya. Maya Landers." He called in his usual cold tone. He wasn't yelling but yet she felt the pressure as if he was. "Where's that report?"

The report was late. It wasn't really her fault, the team had had a new idea right in the end of the meeting and she had taken the chance to also include it in the report. As consequence, the nine pages predicted were now twenty-two and wouldn't be over the desk of the powerful Mr. Hiwatari on time.

She watched as he closed his office behind him when he left with his coat hanging on his arm. The computer indicated only fourteen pages, eight more to go.

Maya typed and typed, adding new lines and making corrections. At 23.00 she finally finished but her head was down and she was feeling defeated. She printed it all, closed the computer and called the lift. She didn't hand the report as she had promised.

At the end of the store, she heard the lift announcing its arrival but then, after the doors were open, she heard footsteps.

He was back. "Where's my report?"

_...Who pushes it to the limit but doesn't cross the line_

"Why are you all in such hurry?" Maya asked on Monday morning.

The secretaries and interns kept running fast across the multiple desks, picking up documents, letters and memos.

Sparing a second Katie answered Maya. "The boss is going to Hong Kong next week. Important business, I hear."

Maya nodded showing she had understood and was even sympathetic towards them. Four months in the company had taught her how Kai Hiwatari could pull a large amount of stress on his employees, and business trips were definitely his favourite time to start testing the quality of several cardiovascular systems.

"Maya." The usual cold voice echoed all over the store making everybody stop for half a second.

With half a second behind they all got back to their work as Maya walked towards the owner of that voice.

"Did you call?" She asked after entering the office. She was perfectly aware of the answer but she also knew a little rhetorical wouldn't harm.

"Yes. Sit down please." She sat. "As you must have heard I'm going to Hong Kong next week." Yes, she had heard. He exited for a minute but then he cut it short like she knew he would. "Would you mind joining me?"

No, she didn't but she just had to be sure. "You're talking about the business trip..."

"Yes, certainly."

"Very well, I will." His expression changed momentarily into what seemed like a smile, but most probably it wasn't.

"In that case I will pick you up at eight tonight." She seemed naturally surprised. But he always had an explanation. "We'll have dinner to discuss the details of our visit to Hong Kong." Even when it was made up in the moment and a complete lie.

_...Who surprises you_

"So, it's a very simple trip. Five days, four meetings. We hope to achieve two new contracts and the revision of an old one," Kai explained.

"Sounds very simple," she commented.

"Yes." The waiter passed near them and Kai called him. "Bring me the check, please."

"Certainly, sir."

"Have you ever been to Hong Kong?" Kai asked back returning his eyes to Maya's beautiful face.

"No, it will be my first time."

"Then I'm sorry we have so much things to do and so few time to enjoy the city." The check came.

"Yes, but at least I'll have a realistic look at the city, the business vision."

"Yes, but you'll be losing all the true beauty." That she wasn't expecting. It seemed they had switched personalities: she was talking about business and he about cultural meanings.

"Unfortunately..." she replied.

"Perhaps you'll have the chance to visit it again soon and for a more calm purpose..." he said helping her to get up of her chair.

They left the restaurant and returned to his car. The driver started driving to her house right after the door was closed. The trip was silent, Maya feeling the weight of his stare over her.

Finally, the Jaguar stopped in front of a familiar building. Number 75, that was hers. She got out of the car and he followed her.

"I hope you've had a good time," he said uneasy.

"Very much," she returned with a honest smile.

"Good. And good night."

"Good night."

"Sleep well." For the first time she spotted some hesitation on his voice.

"Thank you," she replied.

"And rest a lot."

"I will," she ensured.

At last he seemed to walk away and she too parted in the opposite direction. But too fast she heard movement behind her and before she could tell he had his lips kissing hers.

_...Who isn't afraid of a little pain_

"So," he started, "ready for another flight?"

"Not, so sure..." Maya replied recalling all the unpleasant flights she had flown in so far.

Hong Kong-Tokyo was just another.

They were both sat in their places and soon, too soon, they would hear the captain indicating the departure.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We will take off immediately so please fasten your seatbelts. If you need any help asked our air hostages. Please enjoy your flight."

Enjoy? Maya couldn't understand how. She was terribly afraid of flying. Period.

Quickly she felt the plane moving. It was it. Panic took over her and involuntarily she held his hand, _perhaps too tight_.

_...Who's proud of you_

"Not your concern!" Kai's voice echoed all over the store.

Maya had just returned and sensed the dark mood that had settled around the workers of BioVolt.

Everybody had stopped their work and were following attentively the discussion.

"You are my grandson so it IS my concern! Besides who's her? Who's her family? They're not like us."

A slight sadness crossed her delicate features as she heard (like the rest of the people) that fight to decide her identity (although she thought that had been settled on the day she was born).

"What happened?" she asked approaching Katie as if nothing was happening.

"He's here," she answered.

Maya frowned. Silence had won over the loud yells. Behind her, she heard heavy footsteps somehow similar to Kai's.

"Where is she?" asked a command voice.

Maya turned to find an old proud man staring at her. She easily spotted the similarities and understood the man in front of her was no other than Voltaire Hiwatari, Kai's grandfather.

"Miss Landers?" he inquired with the imperial expression she first saw on Kai.

"Exactly." She tried to smile with her ever so youthful smile.

Again she heard familiar footsteps. "I've decided." Kai put his arm around her shoulders. "She IS the woman I love." And he smiled.

_...Who calls you back when you hung up the phone_

"Maya, I'm about to cross the world working! Why can't we stop arguing for a moment?"

This was their latest discussion and on the phone. Kai was going to New York for three weeks and she would stay there, all alone.

"Yeah and that's exactly the problem," she replied.

"Look, I'm not doing this for fun. You have no idea of how I wish I could stay here with you."

"Right. Because you're doing a huge sacrifice in going to a fresher, grandpa-free place."

"Believe me that I would never go if this wasn't crucial."

"Crucial..." she repeated. "Crucial, right."

"It is. This is one of the most important deals of my life. Life, Maya. It's not even only of my career. This is my job, Maya. I don't have another one."

She sat on the sofa piercing him with her silence.

"Why don't you believe me?" he asked, hopeless. Once again she used of her silence torture. "Right, I see. We'll talk later Maya. Bye." And she hang up the phone before he could do it.

She was mad, she was furious and hurt, a dangerous combination. Especially for the phone that she threw away. So that was how things were going to get...

She buried her face in her arms and was about to drop the first tear when she heard the phone.

But she didn't answer it. She just let it ring and ring and ring...

«You called Maya and Kai. It's quite obvious we can't answer right now (don't you dare imagining why), so a leave a message and we'll see what we can do. No promises, no garantees. C ya!»

"I'm not going like this." She recognized his voice. "I'm not going while we're mad at each other. I won't. D'you want me to miss my flight?"

She heard his uneasy breath trough the answering machine but she was still too mad at him. Of course that she didn't want him to miss the flight, but... She didn't want him to think she was weak either.

She heard him sighing for the last time. "You do know that I love you, don't you?" he asked on his last desperate attempt. He wasn't even sure if she was still there, if she had ever been there by the answering machine after all that was what the machine was for.

Maya heard. Slowly and insecurely she reached the phone lying in the ground.

"Yes, I do know..."

"Very much..."

_...Who remains awake just to watch you sleeping_

Kai had forgotten how many times he had woken in the middle of the night and found himself unable to fall back asleep. Maya was just too incredibly beautiful for him to sleep while she was there, so quiet, so perfectly quiet, with her dark hair around her pale face. She looked just like an angel, her chest moving in slow rhythmic movements as she breathed. It was amazing just to think that such a fiery, passionate girl could as well be so peaceful.

The only think he wasn't sure was if she was more amazing awake or asleep, for loved enormously both ways.

_...Who kisses your lips with love and your forehead with respect_

Finally, he broke the kiss.

"So, you don't like to watch the sunset..." he said half sarcastically.

"Sorry. Guess I'm an original romantic," she replied. At first that could seem reasonless but if they considered she was raised by a European literature teacher things could change.

"Yes. So I came up with an idea."

"Tell me!" She earned a somehow childish glow that was just killing him.

"We could go watch the «moonset»."

"«Moonset»?" He looked serious. "I like it. Though I understand that is a metaphor for sunrise."

He smiled. "Maybe..."

"Well, it seems you're a sun-lover while I'm a moon-lover," she said.

He frowned. That didn't seem hers. She should know him better by now.

"But of course, that's just because the sun is bigger, more masculine," she teased.

And he decided to play along. "Yes. That is the perfect perspective. Actually, men are from the sun, women from the moon. Makes all sense. Men are big, powerful and strong, while women..."

"Don't say it!" She appeared slightly shocked.

He smiled and kissed her forehead.

_...Who wishes and wants you with all his heart_

He kept walking in circles around the room. At first she got worried, he seemed quite nervous and

she knew Kai wasn't one to allow his feelings to overwhelm him. Ice set the tone for him.

"What is it?" she dared to ask. He simply glanced at her going back to his repeating circles.

Long minutes passed with him crossing their room and her just staring at him, sat on the edge of their bed swinging her legs.

At last he stopped. Looked her in the eyes and taking a deep breath skipping to the end. "Will you marry me?"

She bit her bottom lip hard, but for the first time she had no doubts. They would get married.

"Now promise me just one more thing," the godmother asked, "that you'll be happy."

Of all promises Maya ever made, at least these last she was sure to have accomplished and those shoes were there to prove it. Maybe they weren't there all the time, but they always were when needed, being the best engine someone could ask for, because they were with her when she learned what she was looking for, when she found what she was looking for and when she kept what she found.

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EtherealButterfly: And it was it. How'd you like it? Please review.

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I don't own any of the characters, places or 'companies' in the show, such as Kai, Mr. Voltaire (I wonder why he has the name of a philosopher...) or BioVolt.


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